


Don't Waste It

by natashasbanner



Series: Bruce/Nat Missing Scenes [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, F/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-01 21:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14530035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natashasbanner/pseuds/natashasbanner
Summary: Natasha confronts Steve about keeping Bruce's return from her, but Bruce interrupts.*Minor Infinity War Spoilers*





	Don't Waste It

“Rogers,” Natasha called, hurrying to catch up with Steve as he made his way out onto the quinjet landing pad. 

It was just the two of them outside, the others had dispersed to prepare for the trip to Wakanda. Rhodes took Bruce and Sam to the armory and Natasha and Steve left Wanda and Vision to argue about the stone more. They didn’t have a lot of time and Natasha needed answers. 

She knew he heard her and was ignoring her. It only served to fuel her rage even more. 

“Steve,” she called again and he slowed down and turned to her, his expression tired. 

“Now’s not the time, Romanoff,” he said and started to head for the quinjet again, but Natasha caught his arm. 

“You knew,” she accused, glaring at him. “You knew and you didn’t tell me. I don’t care if it’s not the time.” 

He’d disappeared when they made it to their hotel in Scotland and when he returned he’d had this look like he’d seen a ghost. Wanda was close, but there was an urgency to his actions that she hadn’t seen in a long time. She’d kept quiet, didn’t demand answers, trusted that he was leading them in the right direction. 

She knew about the phone he gave Tony and thought that’s what had spooked him. Until Bruce stepped around that corner and knocked the wind out of her. Tony was gone, and that pill was hard to swallow, but she believed he could hold his own. Bruce was back and Steve knew best what that meant to Natasha and he’d kept that from her. They were supposed to be a team, had relied on one another for two years and he betrayed that. 

“Why?” she asked. She needed to know. 

“We needed to find Vision,” he said, pulling his arm from her grip. “The mission came first.” 

Natasha stared at him in disbelief. “What did you think I was going to do, take the jet and fly back here to find him?” 

Steve was silent. He sighed and looked down, but it was answer enough. 

“You did, didn’t you?” she asked, demanding an answer. 

He sighed again, but met her eyes. “I didn’t know what you’d do and I couldn’t risk the distraction,” he admitted. At least he had the decency to look a little ashamed. 

She scoffed and shook her head. “You still think so little of me.” 

He moved closer and frowned. “Caring about someone isn’t a weakness, Natasha.” he said. “Banner’s been gone for over two years and I know better than anyone how much you meant to each other. If you were distracted someone could’ve gotten hurt, I did what I thought was best at the time and I’m sorry if you don’t agree with that. It wasn’t personal.” 

It sure as hell felt like it, Natasha thought. Steve’s eyes left hers and shifted over her shoulder. She turned and saw Bruce standing at the edge of the landing pad. 

“Don’t waste the time you’ve got,” Steve said quietly and she listened to him open walk up the quinjet’s ramp. 

His words settled like a weight on her chest. They didn’t have much time left to waste, it all felt rushed and abbreviated, but there was no guarantee they’d both make it to see the end of all this. Steve was right. 

Natasha softened her expression and met Bruce halfway across the landing pad. He’d found the clothes they’d brought from the tower and changed into a pair of slacks and purple plaid shirt. She wanted to laugh because some things never changed. 

“You clean up nice, Doc,” she said, reaching out to smooth down his collar when he got close enough. How could she resist, when he was so close again. 

The corner of his mouth quirked up a little. “It’s nice to have my own clothes again. I wore Tony’s pants for a day, it wasn’t fun.” 

Natasha smiled and dropped her hands away and tucked her thumbs into the loops of her belt. 

“He likes them as tight I do,” she joked and it earned her a real laugh. 

He sobered too soon and tentatively reached out to pull on the bottom of her vest. His touch was gentle and hesitant, and and Natasha saw it in his expression that he was holding himself back. She covered his fingers with her own and stepped closer, trapping his hand in place. 

“This is new,” he commented, sliding his fingers over the rough material. 

“You and Tony weren’t the only ones making upgrades,” she said, moving his hand to rest on her hip. His fingers twitched a little, but he didn’t move his hand. Natasha smirked. “And a glowing suit isn’t exactly practical when you’re running from the UN.” 

“Sounds like you had a rough couple years,” he said, his voice low. 

Natasha dropped her gaze and fiddled with one of the buttons on Bruce’s shirt. She still felt like it was her fault, but that was a conversation for another time. 

“I could say the same about you,” she said. 

“How about, when this is all over, I take you out and we can catch up then?” 

“Figures,” she sighed and looked up at him again. “It takes the world ending for you to ask me on a date.” 

“When have we ever had the best timing?” he asked, his eyebrows raised slightly in question. 

She tilted her head and stared at him for a moment. His fingers on her hip squeezed gently and Natasha knocked the toe of her boot into his shoe. 

“Never,” she finally answered. “You really think we have a chance of getting out of this?” 

“A little optimism couldn’t hurt right now,” he said and shrugged. “We have a plan, that’s something. 

“You’re right,” she agreed. “It can’t hurt.”

They stood there together for a long time, until Rhodes and Sam came out of the building with Wanda and Vision. Bruce moved to pull his hand away, but Natasha caught his fingers in an instant, threading hers through his and holding tight. Like Steve said, she wasn’t going to waste the time they had. She pulled him by the hand toward the quinjet. 


End file.
